The Bears are used to muckin' it up, Saints not so much. Wonder what Madden thinks?

Note: Game difficulty is set at Pro. Quarters are seven minutes. Spread via Bovada.lv is Bears plus-2.

First quarter

Quarterback Jay Cutler comes out hot. Two carries for 11 yards, two completions to Earl Bennett for 19 yards in the first four plays. Two checkdowns and a solid carry from Matt Forte follow, but on third-and-1, Cutler just misses Martellus Bennett at the 15-yard-line. Robbie Gould comes on and drills a 39-yarder with 1 minute, 15 seconds left.

Brees finds Marques Colston for 11 yards to kick the ensuing possession off. Pierre Thomas (I-L-L) gains 6 yards up the middle, as the relatively brisk and uneventful first frame comes to a close.

End of first quarter: Bears 3, Saints 0

Second quarter

On a third-and-3, Brees has 45 minutes to throw, but pass knocked incomplete. Punt, Bears ball at their 27.

Uh oh. On the second play of the drive, a sweep right, safety Kenny Vaccaro annihilates Forte and the ball comes out. Saints' Jabari Greer recovers on the Bears 24-yard-line. Deep trouble.

On second down, Brees finds Colston over the middle for 15 yards, down to the Bears 9-yard-line. Corey Wootton rips a big-time tackle on first down, loss of five on a pitch to Thomas, and oh wow. Wow. On a third-and-goal from the 14, Brees checks down to Nick Toon but doesn't see Tim Jennings squatting right in front of him. Pick, 86 yards, house. Wow. Bears are up 10-0 with 3:42 left.

Anxious to see how Brees responds to that absolutely brutal play. Oh wait, this is Madden and he has no memory and/or feelings. Stephen Paea rips a sack, then Brees hits Jimmy Graham, Colston and Kenny Stills for a combined 39 yards. On first down from the Bears 45, Brees spins an absolute seed over Jennings, finding Stills for a touchdown. Quite a response, pixelated Drew as Bears lead diminishes to 10-7 with 1:52 left.

Cutler hangs on too long (familiar?) and gets sacked by Junior Galette. Two Forte carries for 26 total yards are followed by timeouts. Cutler hits Alshon Jeffery for 8, down to the Bears 45-yard-line, then another timeout. Checkdown to Michael Bush gains 9 yards, two incompletions, then Cutler slings one deep. Greer picks if off and that's your half.

Halftime: Bears 10, Saints 7

Third quarter

On third-and-2, Brees floats a beauty down the right sideline to Ben Watson for 18 yards, down to the Bears 48. Watson for 8 yards, then Thomas off the right tackle for 8 more. Brees to Colston for 5, then Stills for 8 more. Bears having a tough time out here. On cue, it's Brees to Colston on a post over the middle. Saints go up 14-10 with 2:23 left.

Forte gains 4, then drops a little Barry Sanders-like juke on a sweep left for 17. Cutler finds Steve Maneri (!) for 8, then another Forte sweep gets the first down. Bears down to the Saints 43-yard line.

End of third quarter: Saints 14, Bears 10

Fourth quarter

Cutler hits Maneri again (!!) on an out route for 15 yards. On second down, Cutler hits Brandon Marshall for the first time, gaining 12 yards down to the 16. With plum protection, Cutler sits in the pocket and spins a laser through coverage to the back of the end zone. Marshall's there for a 17-14 lead with 5:26 left.

Brees looms large. After an incompletion to Colston, he puts too much air under an out route to Stills. Jennings steps in front, and there's another pick. It's Bears ball at the Saints 35 with 5:15 left.

On second down, Cutler finds Earl Bennett for 14 yards over the middle. Can. Not. Turn. It. Over. Here. Forte gains 4 to the left, then 4 to the right. Clock continues to tick. On third-and-2, Maneri drops what may have been a first down. Gould then chips a 30-yarder. The Bears really needed seven but take a 20-14 lead with 2:57 left.

Brees hits Watson down the right sideline for 20 yards. Incompletion to Toon, then a Robert Meachem reception for 13. Brees is sacked on two consecutive dropbacks — Wootton on one, Julius Peppers on the other — and an incompletion on third-and-24 leads to a punt. That's what they call a turn of events. Bears take over at their own 20 with 1:37 left.

Forte then secures the victory with five carries for 30 yards and three first downs.